Alert but Assured

September 21st, 2024

Alert but Assured

2 Peter 2:1-10

1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,

"This is an Emergency!"

My neighbors and I received a rude awakening not long ago. Sometime before 5 AM, the county alarm system, the one used to alert us about approaching tornados and other weather threats, began blaring. Along with the piercing siren, a robotic voice kept repeating: “This is an emergency! This is an emergency!” It sounded like we were undergoing an air-raid during World War II, though it turned out to be just a malfunction in the system. It had been so loud, so sudden, and so persistent—it must have lasted for fifteen minutes—that there was no going back to sleep after that.

Urgent Warnings

This second chapter of 2 Peter reminds me of that morning. Chapter one offered us a rich, positive call to grow in the gospel. Yet as soon as we cross the threshold into chapter two, Peter’s tone seems to abruptly change. He now issues loud and urgent warnings against false teachers who are slinking among the churches, threatening to completely undo their faith. It is as if he has suddenly pushed the alarm button. Why?

A certain group of people is promoting spiritually destructive ideas among the churches of Asia Minor. They are not openly announcing an agenda to destroy the church, but are “secretly bringing in destructive heresies,” and doing deep damage. They exploit good people for their own gain (2:3) and lead unstable disciples away from the Master’s path (2:1). Instead of helping God’s people escape worldly corruption (1:4), they are leading them back into sensuality (2:2). Rather than living in light of Christ’s return (1:16–21), they deny a coming judgment to live for the lusts of the flesh (3:1–4). The church’s reputation is suffering because of the ungodly lives they produce, and “the way of truth is blasphemed (2:2).” The most shocking element is that Peter says they are among you right now—even as this letter is being read aloud (2:1)!

Cultural Influences

We will learn more about these false teachers tomorrow. But this introduction is enough to prompt our own questions about who we are allowing to influence us. Is it someone like Peter, reminding us faithfully of the gospel, pointing us back to the Scriptures, encouraging us to live for eternity? Or are we instead being shaped by voices that sound more like these false teachers? We may not sit at the feet of some heretical teacher like Peter has been describing. But we are constantly being shaped by ideas, messages, and visions of how life ought to be lived. We receive these influences from our culture, from the media, from our peers, and, yes, even from those who claim to be Christian teachers. We need to discerning about who is influencing the way we live.

God is Always in Control

That does not mean we need to live in fear. Peter knows that the alarm he has just sounded could send some nervous-types in this church into a full-scale panic. So in 2:4–10, he quickly balances his alert about false teaching with an assurance that God is in control. God has been judging his enemies and delivering his people for a long time. Notice all of the Old Testament examples Peter offers: once the very angels in heaven rebelled against God (2:4)! In Noah’s day, the whole world turned from him (2:5). Sensual Sodom and Gomorrah defied God’s rule in every way (2:6)! All these stories go together to make one point. No matter how bad things have gotten, God has always neutralized every threat to his plan and to his people—he even rescued foolish Lot!

So you don't have to be afraid of a dark world, or even of false teachers infiltrating the church. Just be alert, and keep your eyes fixed on the lamp of God’s Word (1:19).

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